January 26, 2010

Charley Walters and Kelsie Smith of the St. Paul Pioneer Press are reporting that the Twins and Jim Thome have agreed to a one-year contract. LaVelle Neal of the Star Tribune (via Twitter) says the deal is worth $1.5MM, with an additional $700K available to be earned in incentives. It’s a big step back salary-wise for Thome, who earned $13MM in 2009, but a bigger salary didn’t appear to be available elsewhere. …

“Throughout my career, I have been blessed to have amazing fans supporting me the whole way. This past week, it’s been no different. Thanks to the people of Chicago for making my playing time here so special.

“And to those who continue to follow my career, … I hope to be able to give you a lot more to cheer about in the future.”